Monitoring Bird Flu in Québec’s Wild Bird Population –

INITIAL RESULTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON THE MAPAQ’S WEB SITE

QUÉBEC CITY , September 13, 2006 - The results from the 1628 analyses conducted to date on the wild bird population in Québec as part of the Canadian and Québec bird flu monitoring programs indicate that the Asian strain of the virus is not present in Québec. Analyses were conducted over the last few months on wild birds from various regions. These results, and those that will follow, will be published on the Web site of the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ) [Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food].

First of all, the Québec program for monitoring deaths in wild birds, which compiles, among other data, information on bird deaths reported by the population, resulted in 300 analyses focussed on various wild bird species since January 2006; the conclusions of these analyses confirm the absence of bird flu in these birds.

Secondly, as part of the Inter-agency Wild Bird Influenza Survey, to date, analyses have been conducted on 1328 samples from Québec. This work revealed the presence of the H5N6 bird flu virus in a single mallard duck from Saint-Pierre Lake . This virus is a North American strain and is not highly pathogenic. Furthermore, no signs of unusual diseases or mortality were detected in the sampled birds. MAPAQ would like to point out that last year a case of the North American strain of the bird flu virus was detected at Saint-Pierre Lake . The H5N6 virus recently discovered in a duck in the same area does not constitute an additional risk to the population or the wild birds of Québec.

This Canada-wide survey is being coordinated by the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre (CCWHC). In 2006, samples are being taken from healthy birds in several regions of Canada . In Québec, the samples come from the sector of Saint-Pierre Lake and locations along the St. Lawrence River , among others. Other results of analyses on wild birds from L'Isle-Verte and Cap Tourmente are expected within the next few weeks. These will be published on the MAPAQ Web site as soon as they are known.

Those who would like to see the results of bird flu monitoring in Québec can consult the MAPAQ Web site at: www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.

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